US: Assad's Plan 'Detached from Reality'

A member of the Free Syrian Army holds up a poster of Hafez al-Assad, the father of current President Bashar al-Assad whose defaced picture is seen hanging on a garbage bin near an area that they set fire to in the city of Aleppo, October, 17, 2012.

Related Articles

The United States said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's plan for a national reconciliation conference is "detached from reality" and is an attempt to "cling to power."

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in statement following a rare speech by Assad Sunday that the Syrian leader has lost legitimacy. She repeated calls for him to step down, saying he is proposing dialogue while his government is "deliberately stoking sectarian tensions" and killing its own people.

Demonstrators hold banners during a protest against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, after Friday prayers in Kafranbel, near Idlib, Syria, January 11, 2013 in this picture provided by Shaam News Network.

A Free Syrian Army fighter uses binoculars near the Menagh military airport, in Aleppo's countryside, Syria, January 10, 2013.

A damaged car and buildings covered with snow are seen in the Jouret al Shayah area of Homs, Syria, January 10, 2013.

Residents evacuate their houses after being targeted by missiles fired by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Aleppo's al-Mashhad district, Syria, January 9, 2013.

Children sit next to a fire in Aleppo city, Syria, January 9, 2013.

Civilians and Free Syrian Army fighters gather at a site hit by a missile in Aleppo's al-Mashhad district, Syria, January 7, 2013.

People help a wounded person after a missile hit Aleppo's al-Mashhad district, Syria, January 7, 2013.

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad waving to his supporters after speaking at the Opera House in central Damascus, Syria, January 6, 2013.

Free Syrian Army fighters, wounded during the battle to capture Taftanaz air base, receive treatment at a field hospital in northern Idlib, Syria, January 6, 2013.

A Free Syrian Army fighter feeds a cat in the old city of Aleppo, Syria, January 6, 2013.

A man rides his bicycle past buildings damaged by shelling in the old city of Aleppo, Syria, January 6, 2013.

A family crosses a street piled with garbage in Aleppo, Syria, January 5, 2013.

In his first public speech since June, Assad called for a political solution to the country's conflict. He told loyalists at the Damascus Opera House that Syria is at war with its "enemies," but denied the existence of a popular revolution.

He demanded Western and regional powers stop funding and arming Syrian rebels, repeating his longstanding description of the fighters as al-Qaida terrorists seeking to tear apart the country.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Assad has not understood the demands of the people or his own responsibility for what has happened in Syria.

"That he bears no responsibility at all... He is making the wrong deductions. He is making wrong deductions about the historical process that is happening and continues to happen in Syria," said Davutoglu."That means he is boxed up in a room and only reads intelligence reports that were given to him with the aim of gaining his favor."

Davutoglu also said Assad "does not have a plan for the future" and cannot make progress by denying the existence of the Syrian opposition.

Opposition coalition members repeated their demand for Assad to leave power as a condition for talks. They have long dismissed his offers of political concessions as too little, too late.

In his speech, Assad described the opposition as a Western puppet. He also lamented the destruction caused by the civil war, saying there is "no joy while security and stability are absent" on Syrian streets.

His loyalist audience frequently interrupted him with chants of "with our soul, with our blood, we sacrifice ourselves for you" and mobbed him as he left the stage.

The United Nations has estimated that at least 60,000 people have been killed in Syria since March 2011, when President Assad began suppressing what started as peaceful pro-democracy protests. The protests evolved into an armed rebellion aimed at ending the Assad family's four-decade authoritarian rule.

Comments page of 2

The world should hear what the civilians of Homs or Aleppo have to say about the bombardments in their areas, many of which lost their family members, homes, businesses., their minds. Sad Sad situation we have here, all at the hands of a reckless ex-dicatator. What he does from here on in is just simply destruction and killing to the Syrian Nation as a whole. He can walk away now and stop the bloodshed. Or he can continue and end up destroying much more and many more lives and lose, period.

by: Rm from: uk

January 07, 2013 5:42 PM

lets ask the residents of 'Hoola' What they think of Assad et al - OH we cant they were all murdered by assad crony loyalists including children. Go figure.

by: kanaikaal irumporai from: .

January 07, 2013 5:17 PM

Yes in deed!, it's detached from reality, as Assad is no longer considered the beloved friend of the West. If this were Mahinda Rajapakshe of Sri Lanka, then this same Obama and his henchmen will rally around him, first to assist in actual Genocide, then hide the issue and afterwards help the same abomination to further the structural Genocidal agenda. Above all, if some voices arise against such acts, then Obama and his administration will propose an unprecedented approach to deliver justice to the victims by allowing the accused to do the investigation, try themselves and sentence if found guilty. It's a matter of Geopolitics!, but the truth will soon be known when Assad is toppled and a new regime comes into being. There's going to another Taliban or Al-Qa’ida oppressing the same Syrian people, while threatening Israel every minute.

Oh the irony of US Middle East policy, Bahrain is given a "Free Pass" to oppression.

by: beercan thick from: ulan bator, mongolia

January 07, 2013 2:48 PM

who cares what the us says, they should just mind their own bussiness , they have their own problems with that clown president.....

by: Anonymous

January 07, 2013 1:51 PM

The guy is a lunatic, he will drop bombs and shoot missles at towns and cities as a form of revenge for people not liking him. He considers anyone of opposition a terrorist. Bashar does not represent the hearts, minds and souls of the Syrian people. He would rather inflict terror on civilians in a hope that he can break their will into liking him, but it is backfiring on him. Every day more and more people dislike this man as he kills more and more civilians. On the streets we see chaos with people chanting how much they hate him for what he has done. However in his speech (which had his military and their families in the audience chanting) , all this did was make the opposition even more fueled and mad. Just because he is a doctor doesn't mean he isn't a psychopath. Too bad Bashar couldn't spend a week in makeshift hospitals treating the children or elderly. He showed no sorrow whatsoever to the people he killed even if it was an accident (which it wasn't).

by: s from: ca

January 07, 2013 1:47 PM

I cant belive that people actually still just go with what the media stands for. Unless you have lived there you cannot just express or assume that the Assad Regime is the best. A great leader applies Law not his own created Law. In the U.S we have freedom of speech in Syria you have none. This is why people are always scared. Tv is controlled, Internet is controlled, electricity is conrtolled how you dress is controlled. Imagine yourself living that way. We are in 2013. You speak of Islamic groups are the issues are you awar that the Assad Regime is an Islamic group of thier own everyone thinks that we are all the same but we are not True Islam is not like the Assad Regime or like Bin Ladin or like Nasrallah or the Iranian president

True Islam is peacful. For everyones information there are many Chritian arabs that live in all of those countries as well who are effected by all of this. So again before you take sides based on the facts that are just provided to you by the media. Try going out side of the box and then make a decision. I am sure you would not want to be living in a place where your own mother is raped just because her son or husband has spoken his mind, or just think about your baby girl being raped infront of your eyes and not be able to do anything while they torture you. How do you people sleep at night ???

by: Trisha Lynn Dragon

January 07, 2013 1:31 PM

Hows about we shut our face and mind our own darn business shall we? We are buried in a crapton of our own garbage, I'm thinking it's time to shut up and shovel. Keep an eye on whats up to be sure, but let Egypt mind Egypt's business. If they for some psychotic reason ASK for our opinion, then we should. We got work to do folks, mind ya business.

by: Michael from: USA

January 07, 2013 9:26 AM

Assad's reconciliation conference is really a hope to rebuild broken contacts with outside resources in a meeting mediated by ETIQUETTE, where of course no one would surrender themselves, and seems to be based on early Syrian conquer-rebuild ideas. So its not really out of contact with reality, it is simply from a different age than ours

by: Grin Olsson from: Alaska

January 07, 2013 6:17 AM

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland statement is nothing short of insanity at its best. She forgets that Osama bin Laden's dream of democracy via an "Arab Spring" is to bring forth a Sunni Islamic Empire to replace the Sunni Ottoman Empire at the expense of all minorities. Indeed, Winston Churchill warned the world about Islamic extremists and we have failed to heed his words. As an American I can only say we need to disengage from the Middle East and if we are to take sides, we should be on the Syrian government's side.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country could face further consequences to what he called its “already strained economy” if Moscow does not fully comply with a cease-fire in Ukraine. The two met, on Monday, on the sidelines of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, where Kerry outlined human rights violations in Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins reports from Geneva.

Video

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country could face further consequences to what he called its “already strained economy” if Moscow does not fully comply with a cease-fire in Ukraine. The two met, on Monday, on the sidelines of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, where Kerry outlined human rights violations in Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins reports from Geneva.

Video

Diagnosing infections such as HIV requires expensive clinical tests, making the procedure too costly for many poor patients or those living in remote areas. But a new technology called lab-on-a-chip may make the tests more accessible to many. VOA’s George Putic reports.

Video

Afghan officials have expressed concern over reports of a crackdown on Afghan refugees in Pakistan following the Peshawar school attack in December. Reports of mass arrests and police harassment coupled with fear of an uncertain future are making life difficult for a population that fled its homeland to escape war. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports from Islamabad.

Video

Despite the ongoing ceasefire in Ukraine, soldiers in the city of Mariupol fear that pro-Russian separatists may be getting ready to attack. The separatists must take or encircle the city if they wish to gain land access to Crimea, which was annexed by Russia early last year. But Ukrainian forces, many of them volunteers, say they are determined to defend it. Patrick Wells reports from Mariupol.

Video

As low oil prices and Western sanctions force Russia's economy into recession, thousands of Moscow restaurants are expected to close their doors. Restaurant owners face rents tied to foreign currency, while rising food prices mean Russians are spending less when they dine out. One entrepreneur in Moscow has started a dinner kit delivery service for those who want to cook at home to save money but not skimp on quality. VOA's Daniel Schearf reports.

Video

The United States and Cuba say they have made progress in the second round of talks on restoring diplomatic relations more than 50 years after breaking off ties. Delegations from both sides met in Washington on Friday to work on opening embassies in Havana and Washington and iron out key obstacles to historic change. VOA’s Mary Alice Salinas reports from the State Department.

Video

One after another, presumptive Republican presidential contenders auditioned for conservative support this week at the Conservative Political Action Conference held outside Washington. The rhetoric was tough as a large field of potential candidates tried to woo conservative support with red-meat attacks on President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress. VOA Political Columnist Jim Malone takes a look.

Video

New Yorkers take pride in setting world trends — in fashion, the arts and fine dining. The city’s famous biannual Restaurant Week plays a significant role in a booming tourism industry that sustains 359,000 jobs and generates $61 billion in yearly revenue. VOA's Ramon Taylor reports.

Video

Issues like the Keystone XL pipeline, fracking and instability in the Middle East are driving debate in the U.S. about making America energy independent. Recently, the American Energy Innovation Council urged Congress and the White House to make expanded energy research a priority. One beneficiary of increased energy spending would be the Brookhaven National Lab, where clean, renewable, efficient energy is the goal. VOA's Bernard Shusman reports.

Video

There has been a surge of interest in the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, thanks in part to the Hollywood motion picture "Selma." Five decades later, communities in the South are embracing the dark chapters of their past with hopes of luring tourism dollars. VOA's Chris Simkins reports.

Video

With the end of summer in the Southern hemisphere, the Antarctic research season is over. Scientists from Northern Illinois University are back in their laboratory after a 3-month expedition on the Ross Ice Shelf, the world’s largest floating ice sheet. As VOA’s Rosanne Skirble reports, they hope to find clues to explain the dynamics of the rapidly melting ice and its impact on sea level rise.

Video

A Lao dam project on a section of the Mekong River is drawing opposition from local fishermen, international environmental groups and neighboring countries. VOA's Say Mony visited the region to investigate the concerns. Colin Lovett narrates.